Nutrition

5.2 NUTRITION

Carbohydrate

Mineral

Vitamin

Calorie

VOCABULARY

Carbohydrates Source of energy for your body. Are starches and sugars, starches are

complex carbohydrates found in bread, cereal, potatoes, rice, corn.

Sugars are simple carbohydrates found mainly in fruits.

During digestion complex carbohydrates are broken down into simple sugars, such aer glucose, fructose and galactose.

Some sugar is carried to the liven and store as glycogen.

Cellulose is a complex carbohydrates that is not digestible by humans, but it’s important to consume it because it helps in the elimination of wastes (fiber).

THE VITAL NUTRIENTS

Fats Essential nutrient, they provide energy to the body. Are essential “building blocks” of the cell membrane Needed to synthetize hormones, to protect body against

injury, and insulate the body from cold. The liver converts the fat into glycogen or stores them as

fat throughout the body.

Ex. Nuts, meats, dairy products, oil.

Proteins Uses: enzymes, antibodies,

hormones, substances that help the blood to clot; part of muscles and cell membrane.

During digestion proteins are broken down into amino acids.

Liver converts amino acids to fats or glucose, both can be used as energy. .

Your body uses amino acids for energy ONLY OF other energy sources are depleted.

Humans need 20 different amino acids to carry out the protein synthesis, humans can make just 12, the other 8 must be consumed in the diet.

Minerals Mineral: inorganic substance that serves as a building

material or takes part in chemical reaction in the body; minerals ARE NOT used as energy.

Minerals takes around 4% of your total body weight.Vitamins

Organic nutrients required in small amounts to maintain growth and metabolism.

There are two main groups of vitamins Water soluble: cannot be stored in the body, they most be

included in our diet. Fat soluble: can be stored in the liver, and excessive amount

can be toxic.

Water Most abundant substance in

your body, around 45 and 75 % It facilitates the chemical

reactions in your body and is necessary to break down foods during digestion.

Excellent solvent, oxygen and nutrients need water to dissolve in it.

Water maintain your body’s internal temperature.

Your body looses around 2.5 L of water per day, so it needs to be replaced constantly.

Calories and metabolismThe energy content of food is measured in units of

heat called : calories. A calorie is the amount of heat needed to raise the

temperature of 1ml of water by 1OC. In general, 1 gr of fat contains 9 calories. When the energy taken is greater than the energy

expended, the extra energy is stored as FAT, and then in consequence the person gains weight

Being overweight increases person’s risk for developing health problems ( heart disease, high blood pressure), being underweight also brings some problems ( fatigue, anemia, bad immunological system)